The Assad regime took credit for the cross-border attack and vowed "such an incident will not occur again"

Turkey’s deputy prime minister on Thursday said Syria has admitted it was responsible for the shelling that killed five civilians in Turkey on Wednesday and has formally apologized for the deaths.

The regime of Bashar al-Assad not only issued a formal apology, says Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay, but it reassured the United Nations that “such an incident will not occur again.”

Concerns that Syria’s internal conflict might be spilling over into neighboring countries and might prompt an outbreak of war were heightened sharply on Wednesday when the Turkish military launched artillery attacks against Syria in response to cross-border shelling which killed five civilians in southeastern Turkey.

The sectarian nature of the conflict brings back very fresh memories of the power vacuum and subsequent descent into chaos that broke out in Iraq. Furthermore, the opposition has elements of extremism and even al-Qaeda in it, and there’s no viable organized opposition for anyone to support.

Half measures like imposing a no-fly zone would also worsen the situation, given Assad’s considerable anti-aircraft capabilities, which are located in urban areas, putting more civilians at risk if the US were to try to take them out. This is also likely to expand the conflict outside Syria’s borders, something even war planners aren’t willing to risk.

So… Allegedly speaking on behalf of the Nation of "Syria", the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay allegedly 'said': 'Syria has admitted it was responsible for the shelling that killed five civilians in Turkey and has formally apologized for the deaths'…

Is there anyway to obtain a certified transcript of the alleged "formal apology" made by the Syrian Government?

Perhaps this will not be possible, as the "formal apology" 'may' have actually been an "off the record" comment made during 'tea time' as the Turkey and Syrian diplomatists were engaged in their daily scheduled bridge-game….who knows???

Interesting…

I do have one lingering 'question' though: has Turkey "formally apologized" for arming and 'assisting' the armed militant insurgent terrorists they're sending into the Nation of Syria?

peter vojta

9 turkish activists killed brutaly in internacional borders/ no apology!!!/, and not military response against Israel?
But very quickly, very quickly. ..lets go to war against Syria, even if they appologised promtly!!!
Zionists could not be more happy….. If war is a must and people cant live wihtout it, then togheter with Syria Turkey should attack Israel – there is the real problem for ME…..peter czech

Jaime

It's wrong for Syria to shell Turkey but it's ok for the Turkeys to destabilize Syria?